Search - Jules Massenet, Alfredo Kraus, Tatiana Troyanos :: Massenet: Werther

Unmatched Werther - long live Kraus

11/01/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alfredo Kraus was undoubtely the best Werther since the days of Thill and the long-gone French school of singing. On this CD he displays all his virtues. ¡Forget about Carreras and Gedda -they are in another Wertherian league! Plasson knows the score like no one, and it shows. Troyanos is adorable, no less than de los Angeles. One wonders why the record company treated Kraus so bad -he could have been so great as Faust!! (also with Plasson). There are some live recordings (e.g. La Favorita) put to sleep that deserve to be released to enjoy this true gentleman's phenomenal performing on stage. Don Alfredo was able to sing until a few months before his death due to his peculiar technique, and a cerefully selected string of roles, never yielding to the pressure of the media or the producers. The audiences appreciate how he built his career and have sincerely mourned him. Hopefully he will not only be alive on CD, but through the voice of some of his pupils (e.g. Aquiles Machado)"

A Wonderful "Werther"

DWilliams | London | 07/18/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This EMI recording of Massenet's WERTHER is a wonderful interpretation of Massenet's opera. The late Alfredo Kraus (1927-1999) and the late Tatiana Troyanos (1938-1993) are both wonderful as the young poet Werther and Charlotte, the young woman with whom he is desperately in love but can never have. I have listened to this recording all the way through and was captivated by its beauty. Michel Plasson's conducting gives a wonderful feel of Massenet's score. Kraus and Troyanos are vocally excellent and very dramatic, giving us every feeling of the characters' emotions. Alfredo Kraus' rendition of "Pourquoi me réveiller?" is great and it is no surprise why he was accepted has the definitive Werther of his time. The supporting cast are excellent singers and very effective. An added bonus is that the music of Jules Massenet is just so beautiful and gives us an example of the Romantic period that is also not only beautiful, but very educational. (The orchestration even has an alto saxophone included.) Who wouldn't want to listen to this wonderful work?! So far, I think this recording and the other EMI recording with Nicolai Gedda and Victoria de los Angeles are the best recordings of WERTHER available."

Lucky me; I'm thrilled...

R. Gawlitta | Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA | 06/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was lucky enough to hear both Kraus and Troyanos sing WERTHER at the Chicago Lyric Opera in the early 70's, when both were at their absolute best. Aside from being perhaps the definitive recording, the memories are indescribable. This recording is marvelous, with Maestro Plasson holding everything together down to the slightest nuance. The two lead singers may have aged since the time I saw them and the time they recorded this, but they are such naturals for the roles that you'd never know. Indeed, the whole scene leading up to Kraus' magnificent "Pourquoi me reveiller", and the ensuing chaos, must be one of the greatest moments of pure musical passion ever recorded. I feel privileged to have this recording in my collection."